Low Birth Weight Babies

Child Health

Low Birth Weight Babies

What does this measure?

The number of babies born with low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams or about 5.5 pounds) expressed as a percentage of all live births.

Why is this important?

Low birth weight is a leading predictor of neonatal death. Low birth-weight infants are also more likely than normal birth-weight infants to experience long-term developmental and neurological disabilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that maternal smoking is the cause of 20% to 30% of all low-weight births in the United States.

How is our region performing?

In 2015, 7.6% of babies in the 9-county region had low birth weights, similar to the statewide rate. Monroe and Wayne had the highest rates in the region in 2015 at 8.2% and 8% respectively. Other surrounding counties had lower rates, with the lowest in Yates at 5.3%. The City of Rochester consistently had the highest rates of low birth-weight babies in the region, averaging more than 10% of births over the decade. The rate was 11% in 2015, up by almost 1 point from 2014.

Notes about the data

Rates based upon small numbers in some of the geographies can vary widely, making it difficult to distinguish true changes from random fluctuations.

Featured Indicator

The number of children under 18 living below the federally defined poverty line, expressed as a percentage of all children under 18 and reported by various racial and ethnic groups. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2016, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $24,339.